Kaoru on Call
by Zhen Ji
Summary: When Yahiko is kidnapped and the kidnapper leaves heartache and an enourmous ransome to pay, all of the Kenshingumi struggle to find work when work is scarce. Then a bodyguard assignment comes from Kyoto, but it isn't for Kenshin or Sanosuke this time.
1. Assignment for Ms Kamiya

Kaoru on Call  
  
Chapter One: Assignment for Ms. Kamiya  
  
**-Summary-**   
  
It's a normal day at the dojo until a police officer comes by with a body guard assignment for a high ranking government official. But it isn't for Kenshin or Sanosuke this time.  
  
**-Note-**  
  
This is set one year after the series.  
  
The sun was high and bright in the robin's egg blue sky in the 1868 Japan sky. Kaoru was still in her training gi and hakama sweeping the porch clean. After the porch was dirt free, Kaoru made her way into the training hall where Kenshin was happily cleaning the floors there.  
  
"Kenshin, have you seen Yahiko? He missed practice this morning." Kaoru said, taking a bokken from the cabinet.  
  
Kenshin stopped his cleaning and looked up at Kaoru with his usual smile and shook his head.  
  
"Gomen, Kaoru-dono. I thought Yahiko was with you."  
  
Kaoru just smiled and continued her exercises outside the hall.  
  
"Don't worry Kenshin. He's probably at the Akabeko with Tae and Tsubame. When he smells you cooking dinner he'll come running."  
  
Kenshin picked up the bucket and cleaning cloth and exited the hall and dumped the bucket a few feet away from Kaoru. He sat on the edge of the porch watching the ebony haired girl practicing her sword style with a smile. Kenshin sighed and felt the small box inside his gi shift it's position. He carefully took it out and cupped it in his hands away from the assistant master's view. Carefully flipping the lid open with his thumb, Kenshin looked down at the ring he had purchased some time ago. He didn't have much money, but he did the best he could to purchase the most beautiful ring for the most beautiful woman he knew. It was a simple gold band, no more, no less. Lately, Kenshin had been wishing for a body guard assignment from the police chief just so he could get some money to buy a proper ring so he could propose to Kaoru.  
  
"Kenshin?"  
  
Thankful for his god-like speed, Kenshin stuck the box back into his gi and smiled at Kaoru.  
  
"Yes, Kaoru-dono?"   
  
"What do you have?"  
  
"Nothing! Say, is that Sanosuke and Megumi-dono?"  
  
Kaoru looked away from Kenshin to see Sanosuke running towards them, Megumi following close behind. They finally reached the red haired rurouni and dark haired assistant Kamiya Kasshin master and stopped. Kaoru looked at Megumi and noticed her red puffy eyes and cracking voice when she spoke.  
  
"We were stopping by the Akabeko to see Tae and Tsubame. But when we got there, everyone in the Akabeko was crowded around them and they were crying. Sanosuke asked what was wrong, and Tae handed him this note."  
  
Kenshin took the paper away from Megumi just in time for Sanosuke to wrap his arms around her and let the doctor cry into his chest. Kaoru read the note along with Kenshin, and her knees gave out when she got to the final line.  
  
_If you ever want to see the Myojin brat again, send two hundred thousand yen to the bridge at midnight in two weeks._   
  
_If you do not comply with our orders, the Kamiya Dojo will be burned to the ground, and the kid dies.  
  
You have two weeks, Kamiya!_  
  
Kenshin knelt down beside Kaoru, who buried her face in the red material of his gi and cried. Sanosuke looked at Kenshin who was holding Kaoru and clutching the note. The ex fighter-for-hire saw flecks of amber appearing in the usually innocent rurouni's violet eyes.  
  
"Hey, Kenshin, how are we going to get all that money?"  
  
Kenshin pulled Kaoru closer, and gripped the note tighter.   
  
"I don't know, Sano. I honestly don't know."  
  
**...........................................................................**  
  
"Kaoru-dono? Here's your breakfast."  
  
Kenshin pushed backed the shoji screen to Kaoru's room and sighed. Kaoru was lying on her side, silent sobs barely audible even to Kenshin. He sat down the warm bowl of miso soup and sat beside Kaoru. here."   
  
Kaoru turned over slowly and looked at Kenshin with saddened blue eyes. Kenshin picked her up and cradled her close to him.  
  
"Kenshin, Yahiko is...He is gone."  
  
Kenshin lay his chin on her head and rocked to and fro gently. He stroked her hair with his free hand.  
  
"Kaoru, don't say that. I'll try and get a job from the police and see if I can get the money."  
  
"Kenshin, there isn't a bodyguard job in Japan that pays two hundred thousand yen in one night!"  
  
He lifted her face up to face his and smiled.  
  
"I will find a way to save Yahiko. But we can't do anything right now because we don't know who we're dealing with. But get dressed and we'll go to the police station to see if they have any work."  
  
Kaoru smiled and got up off the floor and shooed Kenshin out of the room so she could get dressed.  
**.................................................**

"So, there is nothing I can do? Not even a bodyguard for a merchant?" Kenshin asked desperately.  
  
Yamagata shook his head and sat a stack of papers back on the shelf.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Himura. Nobody has even wrote to us requesting a bodyguard for almost three months now. Saitou has even been sent to street duty in these recent months."  
  
Kenshin nodded his head and stood to get up.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Yamagata." The rurouni bowed and started to leave.   
  
A police officer came running into the room, breathing heavily and holding a yellow slip of paper in his hand. He handed the paper to the approaching Yamagata who quickly scanned over the telegram.  
  
"Well, Mr. Himura. Your in luck."   
  
He held the paper out, but when Kenshin reached for it, he shook his head.  
  
"This isn't for you, Mr. Himura," He handed the telegram to Kaoru.  
  
"This is for Ms. Kamiya."  
  
**END-** Yes, yes, yes, it's short! I'm sorry! I'm trying to keep three long stories going now, so please be patient! See you next chapter!


	2. Arashiyama

Kaoru on Call  
  
Chapter Two: Arashiyama  
  
**-Note-  
  
Thank you, reviewers! And thank you for your patience!  
**  
At dinner that night, Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Megumi sat discussing the bodyguard assignment that Kaoru had received earlier that day.   
  
"What's the guy's name, anyway?" Sanosuke asked, sipping his tea hesitantly.   
  
Kaoru looked down at the slip of paper and scanned it quickly.  
  
"His name is Kinoshita Yamanote. He lives in the Arashiyama District of Kyoto."  
  
Megumi looked at her in awe and took the slip of paper from her.  
  
"Arashiyama? I've been there with my mother before. The Togetsu-kyo**[1]** is so gorgeous!"  
  
Kaoru took the paper from her friend and stuck it inside the folds of her kimono and stood up. She took her tray and sat it down on the counter.  
  
"I'm not going for vacation, I'm going to get the money to save Yahiko."  
  
"How much are they going to pay you, Jou-chan? And how are you going to get all the way to Kyoto?"   
  
Kaoru looked at them and smiled slightly for the first time in hours since Yahiko's disappearance.  
  
"Three hundred thousand yen, and he sent a train ticket for first class."  
  
"Whoa!" Sanosuke and Megumi yelled in unison.  
  
"That way we can celebrate Yahiko's safe return, right Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru looked at Kenshin and nodded her head in agreement. She looked out the open door and at the small stone pillar's shadow on the ground.  
  
"I better get to packing. My train will be leaving in thirty minutes." Kaoru declared sadly, moving to her room.  
  
When she had the shoji screen pulled back securely, Sanosuke turned to Kenshin.  
  
"Aren't you going to go with her, Kenshin?"  
  
Kenshin took a drink of his tea before shaking his head.  
  
"We were discussing that on the way home. She wants to do this on her own."  
  
Sanosuke moved over to sit beside Kenshin, Megumi followed suit and took her place to Kenshin right.  
  
"but of course your not going to listen to her and go, right?"  
  
"Of course not! Kaoru-dono wants to be alone in this."  
  
"But Kenshin! She could be killed!" Megumi protested, standing up to her full height.  
  
Kenshin looked up at a very intimidating Megumi and smiled.  
  
"I didn't say how long she would be alone, Megumi."  
  
Megumi and Sanosuke looked at Kenshin and laughed. Sanosuke grabbed him by the neck and pulled him over.  
  
"Kenshin you are such an idiot!"  
  
Kaoru lifted up a section of the wooden floor and carefully hoisted up wooden box from underneath. She slid the lid off and looked inside at the contents. It was the samurai armor her father had received, but had never worn, when he was fighting in the Revolution. It was a newer style of armor that was designed to protect against the foreigners firearms that had turned on the Meiji and went to the Tokugawa side. But even the other warriors took a musket, spear or bow into battle as well as their swords. The tosei gusoku**[2]** wasn't exactly accepted by the elder samurai, but the younger and more influenced samurai accepted it with welcome arms. The armor's shell plates had been coated with molten steel to strengthen them. They were painted black, silver and deep blue lacquer.   
  
The lightweight under to kimono to protect the skin from blistering and abrasion was black silk with another layer of plain white cotton underneath for added protection. She took the armor apart piece by piece, starting with the suneate, then the haidate, kusazuri, kote, do, sode, mempo, and at last the kabuto**[3]**. She looked at the katana underneath the armor, it's black sheath gleaming slightly. Hesitantly, she slipped the sword under her clothes.   
  
"Father, forgive me."  
  
Kaoru sat the armor on top of her gi and hakama, comb, and a second pair of sandals. She went to look in her wardrobe for a yukata, and finally chose one she had never worn. Kenshin had bought it for her a week after they came home from Kyoto, and she automatically fell in love with it. It was a deep blue cotton with purple, white, and silver lotus blossoms all over it. Lines of white, silver, and red danced around the fabric to look like connecting vines. She dressed quickly and pulled her hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She picked up her bag, and pushed back the shoji screen.   
  
Kenshin looked up when he heard Kaoru coming into the kitchen, and his breath caught in his throat. Her hair wasn't pulled up into the typical high ponytail she usually wore, and it was loosely hanging over her shoulder. The red obi around her waist provided the yukata with a wonderfully snug fit in Kenshin's eyes. His observation was interrupted when Kaoru finished pulling her sandals on and called to him.  
  
"Kenshin, are you ready? Let's get going." She said smiling sweetly, yet sadly.  
  
Kenshin gave her a reassuring smile and stood, using his sakabato as a kind of prop. He slid his own sandals on and turned to Megumi and Sanosuke.  
  
"Sano, can you and Megumi-dono watch the dojo until I return?"  
  
Sanosuke smiled and gave him the thumbs up.  
  
"Sure, be careful you guys."  
  
But what he did next shocked everyone. He stood up and walked over to Kaoru, then embraced her tightly.  
  
"Come back to us safe ok? I'd hate to lose my little sister."   
  
Kaoru felt the warm, chilly sensation of a tear soaking through the fabric of her yukata and hugged Sanosuke back. Megumi came over and hugged her too.  
  
"Hurry back, Kaoru. There's still a lot I need to teach you, ok?"  
  
Kaoru laughed and hugged Megumi back.  
  
"I will, Megumi. I promise. I'll come back home to you and Sanosuke safely."  
  
She turned to Kenshin and gave another sad smile.  
  
"Let's get going."  
  
Kaoru and Kenshin maneuvered their way through the people until they found the train destined for Kyoto. Kaoru looked back at Kenshin.  
  
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, Kenshin."  
  
Kenshin nodded, but kept his gaze locked on the ground. Kaoru sighed and started towards the train, but Kenshin reached out and grabbed her by the hand. She turned around and saw his violet eyes filled with unshed tears.  
  
"Kaoru, will you come back home to me, too?"  
  
She looked at him with large, blue, unbelieving eyes. Tears cascaded down her cheeks when she threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"I'll come back for you Kenshin. I'll come back for you, I promise."  
  
Kenshin pulled her back slightly, Kaoru looked at him expectantly. Their lips inched closer, eyes closing and waiting for that tingling thrill, until the train's whistle let out a shrill call. Their eyes flew opened, and the both of them blushed.   
  
"Um, well, you, uh, better get going."  
  
"Yeah...I'll write to you when I get the chance."  
  
"Bye, Kaoru."  
  
"Goodbye, Kenshin."  
  
She ran past the people and got on the train just in time. She ran through the cars until she reached the back of the train and threw the door open. Kaoru stood on the back of the train, and looked around the crowd until she saw Kenshin's unmistakable red hair turning to leave.  
  
"Kenshin!" She called out, lurching forward when the train started foreword.  
  
Kenshin looked back and saw Kaoru standing on the back of the train. He ran back towards the train, knocking several people out of the way.   
  
"Kaoru!"  
  
The train was gathering speed, Kaoru's long black hair began to whip around her face. The train was quickly leaving the station behind, and Kenshin was becoming smaller and smaller, Kaoru smiled sadly and waved at Kenshin's disappearing form. Kenshin stopped, and waved until he couldn't see Kaoru any more.  
  
Kaoru finally went inside and settled down in her seat. She looked out the window and watched the scenery pass. She leaned back and closed her eyes, hoping to catch a little sleep before she reached Kyoto.  
  
It was late morning when a steward awoke Kaoru from her slumber, about eleven thirty.   
  
"Welcome to the Arashiyama District!"  
  
The train was emptying and Kaoru picked up her back, and the armor clanked loudly inside. The steward looked at her suspiciously.  
  
"What do you have in that bag, ma'am?"   
  
Kaoru gave a nervous smile and threw the bag over her shoulder.  
  
"Just a few presents for my family that I'm going to visit."  
  
"Oh, well, good luck and have fun!"  
  
Kaoru walked away as quickly as possible and stepped off the train. The scenery before her took her breath away. The mountains stood tall in the distance, thickly forested by pine and cherry trees. This dropped steeply to the river, where fishers were getting ready for ukai**[4]**. Then, she saw the famous Togetsu-kyo. She smiled to herself, and walked out to find her charge.  
  
She was finally in Kyoto.

END! Here is a list of terms that I used in the story!  
  
**[1] Togetsu-kyo: The 'moon crossing' bridge in the center of the Arashiyama District.  
  
[2] Tosei Gusoku: The most recent style of samurai armor that helped protect against firearms.  
  
[3] Suneate: Shin guard  
  
Haidate: Lower thigh defense armor  
  
Kusazuri: Upper thigh defense armor  
  
Kote: Arm defense armor  
  
Do: Cuirass, chest and abdomen defense armor  
  
Sode: Shoulder defense armor  
  
Mempo: Face defense armor, can be removed from the kabuto  
  
Kabuto: Helmet  
  
[4] Ukai: Fishing done by firelight with trained cormorants, a large sea bird that is very ravenous.**


	3. Meetings

Kaoru on Call  
  
Chapter Three: Meetings  
  
**-Summary-**

Kaoru is led to Yamanote's mansion by two of his servants. Hesitant, and a little scared, the young girl enters to meet her charge and his family.   
  
**-Note-**

Thank you, reviewers!  
  
**Dark Thorn White Rose**: Thanks for you compliment. I'm glad you enjoy the story!  
  
**WhiteRabbit5**: Yes, cormorants are very interesting birds. Thanks for reviewing and enjoy the story!  
  
**Dark-Pyro-Angel-2**: Your weird...Just plain weird...But thanks for the review Baka Deshi!   
  
**Angel of lonelyness**: I'm happy to see you again! Thanks for sticking with me through the story!  
  
**HieiLovesBotan**: Arigato for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed it! MWAHA!  
  
**.............................................................................................................................................  
  
** Kaoru had been walking around Arashiyama for about an hour, and she still hadn't found a trace of her charge's home. She looked up at the sky, the sun high and bright with it's golden rays dancing across the Hozu River's surface. The dark haired, yukata clad girl stopped and sat on a small bench on the Togetsu-kyo. Kaoru reached into her bag and pulled out a small cloth bag that held some dried meat jerky that Sanosuke had purchased from a foreign merchant, rice crackers from the dojo's plentiful supply, and some dried cucumbers and seaweed. She nibbled on her lunch, eating three crackers, a piece of jerky, and a couple of pieces of cucumber. She was really beginning to miss the dojo and the little arguments between her and Yahiko, Sanosuke's teasing, and Kenshin's cooking. Kaoru sighed and put the food back into the cloth bag. The ex-assassin had been on the young woman's mind ever since she left Tokyo.   
  
She got up to leave when a feminine voice called out to her.  
  
"Excuse me, excuse me! Ms. Kamiya!"  
  
Kaoru turned to see two women running towards her wearing black Western style dresses. They stopped a few feet shy of her, and curtsied.   
  
"My name is Koraku, and this is my sister Kitano. We are servants to Lord Kinoshita and have come to escort you to his home."  
  
Kaoru looked at the women and their strange clothing, and then tried to figure out the strange curtsy the two of them just did.  
  
"Well, that's nice of him to send you. But why are you dressed in Western clothes? And what was that strange thing you just did?"  
  
Koraku and Kitano looked at each other with the same bright brown eyes, then turned and smiled at Kaoru.  
  
"Lord Kinoshita likes the Western influences that have been introduced to Japan. He told us we should learn the traditional Western courtesy instead of bowing. His wife, however, dislikes it and keeps up the traditional Japanese style."   
  
Kaoru looked at them with a confused look, and Kitano gave an understanding smile.  
  
"Lady Aikoku isn't your typical Japanese housewife. Actually, she doesn't act like a housewife at all!"  
  
"How does she not act like a housewife?"   
  
Koraku stepped in and took Kaoru's bag for her and tossed it over her shoulder.  
  
"Lady Aikoku has Lord Kinoshita wrapped around her little finger, but she acts like she's made of stone!"  
  
Kitano stepped in and stood on the other side of Kaoru.  
  
"She used to be a kind and caring woman, but after the loss of her only child, she distanced herself from people. The servants began to call her a statue."  
  
"Kitano, Koraku! The Lord awaits Ms. Kamiya's arrival!"  
  
Kaoru and the two ladies turned and looked at an elderly man coaching a large black carriage. Kaoru gasped at the splendid beauty of the carriage and smiled at the two large horses drawing it. Their large sleek bodies were as black as the carriage they pulled, but the long hair hanging from their large hooves down to the ground was as white as the snow atop Mt. Fuji. The two women approached him with gentle smiles, Kaoru following close behind. The gray haired man smiled at Kaoru and tipped the brim of his hat.  
  
"It's good to finally meet you, Ms. Kamiya."  
  
Kaoru smiled and bowed to him.  
  
"It's good to finally meet you to, Mr....?"  
  
"Gosei, Ms. Kamiya. My name is Gosei."  
  
"It's nice to meet you! And please, call me Kaoru."  
  
Gosei gave the assistant master a gentle smile while Kitano helped Kaoru up into the carriage, which proved to be difficult due to the yukata. Koraku and the other black clad siblings sat beside each other in front of the dark haired girl, and began to ask her questions about Tokyo.   
  
"Is it very busy there?"  
  
"How is the fish there?"  
  
Kaoru looked back and forth between the two child like women as they unleashed a barrage of questions on her. Kaoru blushed, and continued to answer their questions until they reached Lord Kinoshita's house.  
  
**.............................................................................................................................................  
  
** The house was huge.  
  
It was a new Western influenced building, but it's size was bound to be envied by even the most old fashioned person. Many different kinds of flowering plants, trees, and shrubs lined the gardens, adding splashed of color where ever Kaoru looked. She managed her way out of the carriage with the assistance of Kitano and Koraku, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, three large dogs came running towards her.  
  
"_Ahhh_!"  
  
One knocked her to the ground and began to lick her face while the others licked her feet, arms, and hands.   
  
"Toppi, Iki, Kaze! Down!" Came Gosei's voice.  
  
The largest of the canines got it's claw caught in her yukata, and when Gosei came to drag the beast off, her precious yukata was torn from the knee down. Kitano ran over to the fallen girl and helped her up.  
  
"Kaoru! Are you ok?"  
  
Kaoru looked down at her yukata and almost cried at the torn cotton, the only thing that Kenshin had ever given her was now ruined.   
  
"I'm fine, I'm fine."  
  
"Please forgive the dogs. They just get really excited in the presence of a new face."  
  
Kaoru gave a somewhat forced smile and tried to pull her yukata together. When Gosei had the dogs calmed he led them over to Kaoru.  
  
"Kaoru, I'm pleased to introduce the Lord's German Shepard's."  
  
She knelt down and looked at the strange dogs with their patterns of black, brown, and a gray tinge of color around their necks.  
  
"What are German Shepard's?"  
  
"My Lord had them brought from Germany. They are loyal and fierce protectors." Gosei replied, patting one of them on the head.  
  
Kaoru looked at the creatures with a look of unsure emotion. She reached out to pet one of the large dogs, who in turned licked her hand. She looked at the drool on her hand with a wrinkled nose and Gosei laughed.  
  
"This little one right here is Kaze, the one in the middle is Iki, and the largest one is Toppi. They're gentle, so no need to worry."  
  
Kitano tapped Kaoru on the shoulder.  
  
"We need to get you inside so you can change clothes. Please, this way."   
  
The three women walked underneath a large archway, roses growing thickly over the wooden structure. When they approached the large doors, two men pulled them open, and Kaoru's breath was taken away once again. If Lord Yamanote's wife was still sticking to the Japanese tradition, the home's interior and exterior didn't show it.   
  
The staircase led up to a painting of the ocean, then split off to the left and right. Hunter green velvet curtains hung in the family room. A cream and golden sofa along with the matching loveseat sat up against the walls with a polished mahogany coffee table to accent them. Part of the mahogany set was a china cabinet that held not the typical white and blue china Kaoru had seen before, it was red and white.   
  
In a corner of the room was a marble statue of a goddess Kaoru supposed was, who was her name? Ah, yes, the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She sat her bag down, careful not to damage any part of the armor. Koraku and Kitano came into the room with Kitano carrying a new yukata, one of simple deep amethyst.   
  
"I hope you like this one Kaoru."  
  
Kaoru took the yukata, and Koraku showed her into a small room where she changed into the yukata. She exited the room and had Kitano tie the obi in the back, then a deep but friendly sounding male voice reached Kaoru's ears.  
  
"Ah, Ms. Kamiya! You have arrived at last!"  
  
Kaoru turned to see a man dressed in a suit, a very nice gray suit. His black hair was neat and well groomed, his small beard and mustache were neatly trimmed and the same black as his hair. His eyes were black as onyx, and shimmered like the night sky.  
  
"I am Kinoshita Yamanote, I hired you to be my bodyguard for one week."  
  
Kaoru bowed in his presence and he laughed.   
  
"Please, there is no need for formalities. Come, let me get you some tea."  
  
Slightly confused, Kaoru followed Yamanote into another room.  
  
**.............................................................................................................................................  
  
** This room she took to be a sort of den. The curtains were red velvet instead of green and a long table with numerous chairs lining both sides. Yamanote sat at the head of the table, Kaoru taking her seat to his left.   
  
"I must say, Ms. Kamiya, that yukata you wear really suits you. It looks like one my wife owns."  
  
Kaoru blushed, and moved out of the way for a male servant to set the utensils for tea down on the table.  
  
"Um, actually, your dog Toppi ripped the one I arrived in, so Kitano allowed me to use this one."  
  
"Oh, I see." He took a bag of tea from the porcelian container and dropped it into his cup, then poured steaming water over it.  
  
Kaoru did the same, and while she was adding finishing touches, Yamanote cleared his throat to get her attention.  
  
"I think I should tell you why I have asked you, a woman, to become my bodyguard."  
  
Kaoru sat her tea down and gave a slight nod.  
  
"I was curious as to the matter myself. Most people now want a former samurai to serve them, not a girl who believes killing is wrong."  
  
He laughed and shook his head.  
  
"Females are much more capable then males at some things. Especially when it comes to catching a ninja."  
  
"Ninja?"  
  
"Yes, a ninja assassin. They have been trying to get me for almost a week now. Then I heard of your speed and nimbleness and I sent a telegram to Tokyo to summon you here."  
  
"But, why me? If you have heard of me, I'm sure you heard Himura Kenshin was living in my dojo."  
  
Yamanote nodded and clasped his hands under his chin.  
  
"I didn't want him, I needed someone who could simply cause enough harm so we can find out who it is."  
  
"Who are you talking about, dear?"  
  
Kaoru and Yamanote looked up, and Yamanote smiled.  
  
"Aikoku, there you are."  
  
Kaoru looked at the woman who at entered the room, and immediatly saw what Koraku and Kitano were talking about. Her hair was deep brown, the same shade resided in her almond shaped eyes that were sit in a face that had the complexion to rival a geisha's. Her dark eyebrows arched gracefully above her deep blue painted eyelids. Her kimono was richly elaborate with silver embroidered dragons, cranes, and flowers on a midnight blue silken background. Kaoru couldn't see any signs of the lost child the the two sisters had spoken of in her figure any where. But there was something unsettling about the Lady Aikoku.  
  
**END-** Whew! Done at last! Thanks to Pyro for the Aprodite statue idea. Your the best!


	4. Why She Was Chosen

Kaoru on Call  
  
Chapter Four: Why She Was Chosen  
  
**-Note-**  
  
No summary this chapter! MWAHA! School starts tomorrow for me, so I decided to do another chapter before I have to go back to homework. So enjoy! Oh, by the way, locations, history, and things about Japan in here are real facts, so you are basically learning about Japan as you read this story!  
  
Lady Aikoku sat down beside her husband, and rejected the tea when the servant attempted to set her cup and utensils down. Her deep brown eyes scanned over Kaoru as if scanning over the young girl for flaws, and her gazed stopped on the purple yukata.  
  
"Ms. Kamiya, that yukata you were looks vaguely familiar. Who made it for you?"  
  
Once again, Kaoru found herself in an embarrassing situation. Luckily, Yamanote spoke for her.  
  
"Dearest, Toppi-"  
  
"Silence! If I wanted your input I would have asked for it." Aikoku snapped, quickly silencing her husband.  
  
Kaoru was taken aback, any wife that dared raise her voice to her husband would typically have been killed on the spot by him, if not commanded to commit suicide. Sheepishly, Yamanote withdrew and let Kaoru speak.  
  
"Toppi accidentally ripped my own when I arrived, and Kitano let my use this one until mine was mended."  
  
The kimono clad woman lifted a perfectly groomed eyebrow then let it drop back down it it's original position.  
  
"I see. Take care and try not to spoil it, for my mother gave that to me as a wedding gift before I left for Arashiyama."  
  
Yamanote chuckled nervously and reached out to touch his wife's hand, his hand touched cold wood.  
  
"Touch me without permission and lose your limbs by whatever means I see fit."  
  
Afraid of an accidental bump by some freak of nature, Kaoru removed her hands from the table and placed them in her lap. Once again, he was forced back into his seat while his spouse spoke.  
  
"Ms. Kamiya, if you wish, you may share quarters with me. Mine are too large for my taste and some company would be pleasant change."  
  
"Um, love, if I may, I need to speak with Ms. Kamiya on the means in which she was summoned here."  
  
This time, she simply nodded and stood up with the long sleeves of her kimono cascading down her sides from her lap. She paused before exiting the room and turned to Kaoru.  
  
"I expect you to my quarters no later than six. If you come up one minute later, you will have to find a sleeping place else where."  
  
"Yes ma'am, of course." Kaoru said nervously, standing to bow before Aikoku left the room.  
  
When her soft footsteps were inaudible, Yamanote took a swig of his tea before speaking.  
  
"Now, I know you know of the ninja assassin, but you don't know exactly why I wanted you for this job."  
  
Kaoru shook her head, her eyes large and attentive as she processed every detail.  
  
"You are very quick to be a woman, and your swordsmanship style requires no killing. I trust you didn't bring a weapon with you?"  
  
"No, sir. I didn't bring anything with me but my clothes and a few other items." Kaoru lied, keeping her gaze on the brown liquid in her cup.  
  
"You may use any weapon you see fit, as long as you don't kill the culprit."  
  
Kaoru looked at Yamanote with a question burning in her eyes.  
  
"I don't understand, you hired me because you don't want the assassin dead?"  
  
"Precisely."  
  
"But...Why don't you want them dead? Their trying to take your life are they not? Most would want their attempted murders six feet under!"  
  
Kaoru clapped a hand over her mouth and ceased raising her voice when Yamanote stood and went to the window.  
  
"You will find, Ms. Kamiya, that I am not like most government officials. I don't want every possible threat to me eliminated. I want to be able to see my enemy, face to face...Man to man.."  
  
To the girl behind him, the pieces just weren't fitting together.  
  
"You don't want your enemies slain because you want to kill the yourself?"  
  
"I like a good challenge, Ms. Kamiya. I like to destroy my enemies personally....By my own hands. You see, if I wanted all threats to me eliminated, I would have killed Aikoku eleven years ago."  
  
"What?!" Kaoru gasped, standing up from the table so abruptly that her chair fell to the floor.  
  
Yamanote chuckled and walked back to the table and leaned against it.  
  
"After Aikoku miscarried our first and only child, she began to blame it on me. She said that it was because my seed was that of a Westerner and not a true Japanese. That is why she hates me now."  
  
Kaoru was beginning to wonder why he was confiding in her and she hadn't even know him a whole day. She turned to him, and tried to change the subject.  
  
"So, what is it that you want me to do when I manage to get the assassin?"  
  
"If my wife acts like she is trying to get her revenge on our lost child, kill her immediately."  
  
She stood up and furious.  
  
"Mr. Kinoshita Yamanote! My swordsmanship style is that that helps people-"  
  
"Exactly, you will be helping me by destroying my wife.  
  
Kaoru started to leave the room when Yamanote grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"I mean it, Ms. Kamiya. You may believe killing is wrong, but I know that the Kamiya Dojo is in serious debt. If you fail this mission, I will have my workers take my fortune and seize the dojo, leaving you and the Battousai homeless. Am I understood?"  
  
She couldn't be intimidated, she just couldn't. Kaoru nodded and Yamanote released her and smiled like nothing had happened between them.  
  
"Ok, I shall see you in the morning."  
  
He left Kaoru in the room, her entire being too shaken to move her body.  
  
............................................................................................................................................................  
  
Aikoku came into the room several minutes later, changed into a teal colored sleeping yukata.  
  
"Ms. Kamiya, it is three minutes till six..."  
  
"I know, I know Lady Aikoku. I was coming-"  
  
"Call me Aikoku."  
  
Giving up on speaking to the elder woman, she allowed Aikoku to lead her up to her room. The two of them walked the halls in silence, then they came to an elegantly designed shoji screen. Aikoku pulled it back, and for the fourth time that day, Kaoru was amazed.  
  
The room was simple, yet extremely beautiful. The floors were dark and smooth, satin pillows were arranged around a fire in the middle of the room, and several kimonos stood on stands against the northern wall. A woman wearing a simple green kimono stepped forward from behind a screen wielding a bamboo tray with tea, and from Kaoru's since of smell, it was matcha[1]. The woman bowed, then disappeared behind the screen again. Aikoku sat the tea down and tied her sleeve back with the strip of cloth the woman servant had brought.  
  
"Please sit down Ms. Kamiya."  
  
Kaoru stepped forward and sat on the mat in front of Aikoku.  
  
"Please, call me Kaoru.."  
  
With an acknowledgement of her silence, Aikoku scooped some powdered matcha into the cup and poured the steaming water over it. She whisked it and handed it to Kaoru who looked at her in confusion.  
  
"Isn't this only used in tea ceremonies?"  
  
"Yes, but you are a guest, so feel free to drink as you wish."  
  
Kaoru held the small bowl in her right hand and placed it in the palm of her left. She turned it clockwise about ninety degrees and raised it to her mouth with both hands, then emptied it in three gulps.  
  
"Do you know who replaced the original Japanese tea utensils with these you see here?" Aikoku asked, pointing to the utensils on the tray.  
  
Kaoru nodded and sat her cup down.  
  
"Wasn't his name Sen no Rikyu?"  
  
"Yes, it was. He was born in 1522, then when he grew older became a student of Shuko and an adviser to the warlord Hideyoshi. He was the very one that formalized the tea ritual by replacing the native tea utensils with Chinese ones. His descendents continued this, and it resulted in two schools of tea; Omote Senke and Ura Senke."  
  
Kaoru's blue eyes widened at Aikoku's knowledge, and sat listening attentively as she continued.  
  
"You must get some rest, Kaoru. Tomorrow, we travel to the Rinzai-sect temple of Tenryu-ji."  
  
The elder woman handed Kaoru a yukata, and pulled out the things so she could prepare herself a futon. When everything was set up, Kaoru rolled over an tapped Aikoku on the shoulder.  
  
"Tell me about Tenryu-ji Temple."  
  
With a sigh, Aikoku started her story.  
  
"Tenryu-ji was founded by the first Ashikaga shogun, Takauji, in 1339. The gardens there are serene and still intact. The pond is shaped like the Chinese character kokoro, which means enlightened...heart."  
  
Kaoru's breathing was calm and even with sleep. She had fallen asleep to the smooth lulling of Aikoku's voice, making the older woman's mouth rise up in a slight smile. She pulled the blanket up to her chin, and closed her eyes to drift off to sleep like the young girl beside her.  
  
END! Well, how do you like Lady Aikoku? You may think she's a witch, but just wait!

[1] Matcha- a high grade of tea used in tea ceremonies or when a special guest is present.


	5. To the Temple

Kaoru on Call  
Chapter Five: To the Temple

-Note-  
Hello, people! Sorry about the late update! But my mom has forbidden me to write any more fan fiction! But...-looks over shoulder- As long as I keep Maroon 5 pumped up on my CD player and my door locked, and if Dark-Pyro-Angel-2 don't drop dead for some strange reason, then I can secretly keep writing it! MWAHA! So please forgive the long gaps between updates!

Kaoru had been asleep for about seven hours when Aikoku's calm voice awakened her. She first fought off the interruption to her sleep, then found the persuasive voice to draw her from her futon.

"Kaoru, come. It is time for us to go to the temple." Aikoku said, shaking Kaoru's shoulder again.

Hesitantly, Kaoru rolled over and attempted looked up at the elder woman's face,.

The room was dimly lit by small lamps, and the sleep in her eyes partially disabled her vision. She blinked once, twice, and a third time before her eyes adjusted enough that she could see the face of her charge's wife. Kaoru was finally able to raise up with the sluggish moments of half sleep and looked around the room.

"What time is it?" She asked of Aikoku, who was holding something in her arms.

"Almost one thirty in the morning."

Kaoru's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

"W-what? Were going to the temple at this ungodly hour?"

Aikoku lifted one of two dark eyebrows that were impeccably groomed to arch across her dark eyes and etched into skin the color of newly opened magnolias.

"We must go to temple on business, Kaoru. This isn't a treat trip."

Aikoku walked over to the futon and lay the object over Kaoru's lap.

It was a miko's outfitting; white gi and red hakama. The young assistant master's fully awoken blue eyes skimmed over the clothing, then went to Aikoku. She was already clad in the clothing of a miko, her hair brushed down and gathered in a knee length ponytail.

"You're a priestess!"

Aikoku nodded, and sat down beside Kaoru. Sadness flooded up to drown her typically emotionless eyes in the pain of a childless mother.

"Eleven years ago, Kaoru, I bore a child. The child...Didn't make it through the night.

I mourned, no wait, I still mourn over my lost child. I blame it on my husband...My husband and his unquenchable lust."

Kaoru looked at the quiet woman beside her , then looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry for your lose." She managed to murmur.

Aikoku turned to her and gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Kaoru. Now, change and we will be on our way."

Aikoku stood up and exited the room, leaving Kaoru to get dressed and gather her thoughts. The look in Aikoku's eyes at that particular moment frightened Kaoru. It wasn't a look a wife, even a wife like Aikoku, should have when speaking about her husband. She pulled the white gi closed and pulled the red hakama on, securing both of them safely closed with the hakama's sash.

She stepped out of the room, her bare feet touching the alien like furry stuff covering the floor. She still hadn't gotten used to the material Yamanote had introduced to her as carpet, and she didn't think she was either.

Kaoru found her way down the steps, her path dimly lit by small lamps and candelabras. Immediately, the Japanese atmosphere she had been raised in changed to the newly introduced Western style most residents of Japan were eagerly accepting. She exited the house and saw Aikoku standing in the long gravel driveway waiting for her with the same maid she had seen giving Aikoku the tea utensils just hours earlier.

"Kaoru, I want you to meet Kasumi; my dear friend and retainer."

Kaoru took in the woman's face, old and creased with age. A fierce but gentle fire burned within the depths of her time wizened eyes, showing her unspoken protectiveness over Aikoku.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kasumi." Kaoru bent at the waist in a respectful bow, and slowly raised back up.

The thin black material of the old lady's yukata rustled over the gravel as she moved towards Kaoru and stared into her eyes, sending an uncomfortable chill up the assistant

Kamiya Kasshin master's spine.

"Lady Kaoru Kamiya? I knew your mother and father well before the Bakumatsu claimed them."

"But, Kasumi, my mother died in child birth."

"You were born on the battle field, dear child. Your mother was the daughter of one of the Tokugawa samurai, and then she met your father. Of course then, love between the Imperialists and Samurai were forbidden, so they loved one another in secret. You were conceived and I was the one who delivered you during one of the most violent battles of the war in a grove of undisturbed sakura trees."

Kaoru's jaw hung open as the woman revealed that she knew more about her than she knew about herself.

"That is why you are what you are. The blood of the Samurai coursing through your veins and the vibes of battle gave you your fighting spirit. The gentleness of the sakura petals you were born on gave you the delicate beauty and feminism enclosed in your features."

Aikoku smiled at the shocked expression on the young woman's face and stepped into the carriage that had arrived without Kaoru ever noticing.

"Come along now, Kaoru. We mustn't make the monks wait any longer."

The temple was very lovely, more so than Kaoru had imagined when Aikoku was describing it to her. Kasumi stepped out of the carriage first and assisted her lady down,

Kaoru followed quickly behind. Aikoku turned to her with a blank expression.

"Turn around Kaoru, and let me properly fix your hair."

"Um...Ok..."

The tall woman gently turned Kaoru around by the shoulders and pulled the indigo ribbon from her hair, sending a black cascade down her back. Taking a white strip of cloth from her pocket, Aikoku pulled the younger woman's hair back into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck and secured it tightly.

Kaoru felt around and took in the odd feeling of the new hairstyle.

"So this is the way of the miko..." Kaoru murmured, looking down at the red and white attire.

The three women approached the entrance to the temple where several monks bowed in deep respect, and touched their foreheads to the floor. Two more pulled open the large doors, and they stepped inside. Aikoku held up a hand, motioning for Kaoru and Kasumi to stop short several steps behind her as she swiftly moved foreword and stood in front of the large statue of Buddha.

"Kaoru, I think it is time that you found out something."

Kaoru looked at Aikoku, then at Kasumi who didn't dare meet her gaze. Kaoru turned her blue eyes back on Aikoku, who was retrieving a long sheath from within her clothing. The sheath soon revealed a hilt, and Aikoku held the katana out in front of her.

"Miss Kaoru, this was the sword that my son was going to wield someday. He was going to be able to nobly uphold his Samurai ancestry! But now, because of his sorry excuse for a father, he will never have a chance at life."

Kaoru tried to approach Aikoku, but the woman removed the katana from it's sheath, the sharp blade reflecting the light of the temple lamps. She brought it over her head, then threw it at Kaoru's feet.

"My husband will not live to see me dead, Kaoru. He will die long before I, and you will dispose of him for me!"

END!- Sorry for the cliffy and the long update! But remember; my mom has no clue I'm doing this! 


	6. Decisions, Decisions

Kaoru on Call  
Chapter Five: Decisions, Decisions

"Dear Kenshin,

How are you all? Fine, I hope."

Kaoru's pen moved across the paper with nervous skitters. She only had twelve days to get the money to save Yahiko, and no one had bothered to attack Yamanote...Not even his wife.

Kenshin's letter went on about that everything so far was quiet and she was doing alright. He already had enough on his mind then to be worried about her caught in-between spousal wars.

Clenching her eyes shut to prevent tears from dropping to the paper, the day's activities came swarming back to her...

Aikoku stood before her, her eyes filled with flaming rage as she went on about her husband's evils, her son's death, and the possession that Westerner's had cast over Japan.

"I came from a noble Samurai family by the name of Nijoymo. Then after the war, my father, Okihayo, tried his best to keep my mother and my six other sisters fed and happy.

However, since I was the youngest, my mother sold all of my dearest possessions, despite my father's protests. My other elder but simple minded sisters drowned in luxury while I was sold off into marriage at the age of sixteen."

She turned to face the great statue of Buddha as tears flooded her next words.

"I gave birth at seventeen, and my child never made it. I would have named him after my wonderful father, Nijoymo Okihayo. But he'll never have a chance!" Her voice raised and she slammed her fist against the wooden miniature shrine.

Kaoru by this point had already sank to her knees in utter confusion. The husband wanted wife dead on any attempt to take his life, the wife wanted the husband dead no matter what. She was supposed to be protecting one person, working for one person. Protecting that one person from a would-be assassin, not his wife!

But his wife now wanted him dead. And she was caught in the middle with no escape.

"I will try to be home with the money as soon as I can. "

"I will save Yahiko...I promise,

Kaoru"

She sealed the envelope and lay it on the small desk in Aikoku's room for delivery.

Aikoku was sleeping on her futon peacefully, but the day's events showed in the way she had turned on her side to sleep instead of her back. Kaoru slid down in the sheets of her own bed, and had just started to get comfortable when she heard the sound of shattering glass.

Her eyes widened, her body stilled as a wave of cool air slowly crept over her from under the door. Kaoru looked over at Aikoku and decided that she would be safe for the time being. Her father's katana was protruding from the bag beside her suggestively, and

Kaoru was more than willing to accept its offer of being chosen to defend her and the residents of the house if needed.

The sword finally made its way between the red sash and the red hakama of the priestess she had yet to remove. Kaoru moved with ease across the wooden floor and carefully slid back the shoji screen.

Down the hall, moonlight shown brightly on shards of glass scattered across the floor.

Kaoru took a deep breath and slid down the hall, her bare feet finding their way safely over the threatening shards. The trellis leading up to the balcony had its climbing roses torn off and coming off in certain areas, and a black strip of cloth was dangling by a thorn.

"So there's where you went..." Kaoru murmured to herself, and began to carefully crawl through the window without being cut by the glass.

Thorns tore at the cloth of her white gi and pierced the material. Tiny rivulets of blood appeared on her arms, staining the gi crimson. The trellis ended at a grand balcony where the French doors stood open invitingly into the darkness within.

Kaoru hauled her small frame over the elaborately engraved railing with an ease that seemed practiced. She took a deep breath and entered the room, oblivious to what lay within.

She had taken no more than three steps when the doors slammed shut behind her and deprived her of the little light she had from the moon's radiance.

The tiles underneath Kaoru's bare feet were ice cold despite the warm evening of mid summer weather. She took another step forward, but found that tile warm. Curious, Kaoru knelt down and felt it and the tile she had been on a second ago. There was definitely a difference in the temperature, and Kaoru stepped forward. The tile was also warm, as were the next three.

The fourth tile turned cold again, and the dark haired girl stepped back. The left and right tiles were also cold, but the one diagonally above the left one was warm.

"What's going on here?" Kaoru murmured to the silent darkness as she took another left diagonal, two rights, stepped up one, and a single right diagonal.

The warm tiled path ended at the corner in the western end of the room.

She ran her hands up and down the wall, searching for a small crack that might open to be a door, a draft...But nothing came.

After a moment of searching, her patience had finally reached its limit.

"Argh!" Kaoru yelled in frustration, and kicked the wall as hard as her legs would allow.

She turned to leave, angry about losing her quarry, when the scent of cinnamon and honeysuckle washed over her senses.

The wall was sliding back, cleverly disguised from Kaoru's searching eyes while she hunted for a way past the warm tiles. Following her natural curiosity and pursuit, she entered the warm, and a wave of heat crashed into her, making it almost unbearable to continue.

Ignoring the heat, she made her way down the spiraling steps that led her deeper and deeper underneath the house. Perspiration was rolling freely from her cheeks and forehead, causing the raven hair to glisten brightly from the torches lighting the way and adding to the heat.

Kaoru finally reached the bottom, but not before losing three gallons of sweat. The staircase had opened up to a large room that held various katanas, armor of all colors, ferociously designed helmets, and cages were all over the room. A moving black figure caught Kaoru's eye, making her shift her blue gaze to the left. What she saw then made her almost faint.

There walking was a person dressed in black and silver armor... And carrying an unconscious Yahiko over their shoulder.

END- So...What you think? Hope you like!

WhiteRabbit5: You may use the idea for Kaoru's parents!


	7. Showdown

Kaoru on Call

Chapter Seven: Showdown  
  
**-Note to Reviewers-** Ok, people. Here we are; the first battle sequence of Kaoru on Call. I must warn you, however, battles aren't exactly in my range, but I will try my best!  
  
**-Updates-** I will have a new InuYasha story called Looking Through Your Eyes coming soon, plus Heaven Sent will be coming back on October 8th. See ya then!

She couldn't breathe.  
She couldn't speak.  
  
All Kaoru managed to do was pull the katana from the sash of the hakama and get into her stance. The black clad warrior turned to her, the dark eyes the only part of the face visible under the helmet. He allowed Yahiko to fall from his shoulder, and he went for his own weapon.  
  
"I see you have finally discovered this family's secret, Kamiya."  
  
Kaoru tightened her unfamiliar grip on the sword's hilt, her next words laced with anger.  
  
"There are no secrets to this family. Now you will pay for taking Yahiko from me!"  
  
She charged forward, the blade reflecting the flames from the torches like a mirror, the call of the warrior sounding in her ears like a siren.  
  
The black armored person avoided her attack easy and lashed out at her. Kaoru barely dodged the blow in time for it to make a neat cut in the cloth of the gi.  
  
"With moves like that, you will never get a hit off me." The dark man chided, lashing out continuously with his sword.  
  
Kaoru dodged the first blow, the second, then a third, but the fourth sliced into the soft flesh of her thigh. Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward and once again missed.

White and red blurred with black and silver as the two warriors clashed, their swords humming and singing death's eerie nocturne. Blood poured from the wound on Kaoru's thigh, making a small puddle on the floor. She lost her footing on the slippery tiles, and the man's blows didn't stop. More and more cuts appeared on Kaoru's body, until her blade stopped the assault.

The samurai stared in horror as Kaoru stood up, blood coursing down her face, arms, and dripped from her cut up fingers, still tightly gripped on the sword. The indigo ribbon that held her dark hair secure came undone in two neat pieces and slowly glided to the floor. There was a fire in her eyes that frightened the black and silvered armored man before her...  
  
It was the fire of a true Samurai.  
  
The katana in her hand suddenly felt as if it was her best friend, and when she took it and moved into an unfamiliar stance to her body, but strangely familiar to her soul, it moved to it's position by her side as if it was controlling itself.  
  
'I notice this stance...' The samurai thought, watching for any sign of movement from Kaoru.  
  
'Her family's own stance...A fighting style supposedly no one could master except for by that family's blood line...'  
  
Kaoru's smile became sinister, and almost evil looking. Her eyes had lost all traces of showing the slightest amount of mercy.  
  
"I can see your mother in every detail of your body, Kamiya. The same woman who defeated me in battle during the Bakumatsu."  
  
The katana's blade slowly peaked over the edge of the sheath, the man's dark eyes watching as his death was guaranteed from the whole twenty nine inches that rose into the air.  
  
"She was an amazing woman. The only daughter of one of the strongest Samurai families in Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate...Ukokia Nijoymo."  
  
Kaoru stopped, finally coming to her senses after the sound of the all too familiar name.  
  
"Did you say...Nijoymo?"

"Smart little slip of a thing, aren't you? Yes, I said that. Aikoku and Ukokia were sisters of the Bakumatsu. Their mother favored your mother over Aikoku and allowed her to train in Bushido, which caused her to create the sword style Dance of Death."  
  
The assistant master sunk to her knees, her confusing reality weighing on her shoulder like a lead brick. She finally stood up and grabbed her weapon again.  
  
"I don't care about the past! All I care about is getting Yahiko back and going home!"  
  
Both fighters stopped at the sounds of footsteps coming down the staircase. Four people appeared at the bottom; Aikoku, Yamanote, Kasumi, and another woman Kaoru didn't recognize.  
  
"Shimushi, how could you not invite us down for the fight?" The strange woman purred, gliding over to him in a kimono far more elegant than any Aikoku could over hope to have.  
  
Aikoku chuckled and walked over to stand in front of Kaoru.  
  
"Dear child, are you not going to properly greet your mother?"  
  
Blue meet blue, and Kaoru froze.  
  
Fierce eyes, perfect features, and the aura of a warrior. With ebony hair that kissed the floor when she walked, the woman that Aikoku stated was Kaoru's mother was indeed the spitting image of an elder Kaoru. The kimono was of black, purple, silver, and bright green silk. It wasn't held together by a traditional obi, but by a large dragon made from silver with sapphires for eyes.  
  
"So this is the girl I bore from the Imperialist?" The woman stepped forward, towering several inches above Kaoru and Aikoku.  
  
"Yes, Ukokia. We managed to lure her here with your son as bait. She seems to believe his name is Yahiko Myojin."  
  
Her mother laughed, a sickening sound to Kaoru's ears.  
  
"That prostitute he called a mother all these years gave him that weak name. His father stands before us now!"  
  
Shimushi removed his helmet, and Kaoru's lungs tightened. It was an image of Yahiko, through and through. From the spiky tendrils of hair to the arrogant air about him, this man was definitely Yahiko's sire. Kaoru turned to him furious.  
  
"You lied to me! You said my mother defeated you in battle!" "Oh, but she did. But she took appreciation in my skills and devoted herself to me. And we produced that runt lying on the floor who should have been a proud Samurai like his parents."  
  
Ukokia stepped forward and threw open her kimono to reveal armor the colors of phoenix plumage. Bright gold and radiant crimson reflecting the light from the torches as she drew a masamune and held it above Yahiko.  
  
"Kaoru, watch now as I take your half brother's life! Watch as I repent for my mistake!"  
  
The sword's tip hovered above Yahiko's head, and Kaoru froze as the blade plummeted down ward.

But something stopped the large blade from plunging into yahiko's skull. Okokia turned and saw Kaoru blocking the masamune, and her eyes were burning brightly...  
  
Burning with the rage of a Battousai.  
  
END- Ooh...Cliffy! WOW! Is this a crazy family or what?! see ya next chapter!


	8. Like Mother, Like Daughter

Kaoru on Call

Chapter Eight: Like Mother, Like Daughter  
  
**-Note-**

I'm finally back! My gerbil died a few days ago at the age of seven. I thought he was six, but my mom told me I miscalculated his age by several months. If any of you would like your names on his memorial, just let me know! You may also add a message if you would like. I would like to thank all of my reviewers for your uplifting support! Thank you so much.

Ukokia could compare the fury in her daughter's eyes to that of the legendary Battousai. Saitou Hajime couldn't even compare to the gaze Kaoru was giving her now. Jin-e couldn't hold a candle to her either. It was a look of a death promised and not to be forgotten, and she knew very well if Kaoru was anything like her, her life would end tonight.  
  
"You dare hold arms against your mother?"  
  
Kaoru didn't speak, she just let that deep, sinister gaze continue as her weapon kept her mother's from penetrating Yahiko's skull.  
  
Yahiko's eyelids fluttered, catching Kaoru's gaze. Deep brown fluttered open to meet worried blue, and a faint smile crossed Yahiko's face.  
  
"Kaoru, you...came..."  
  
He barely finished the sentence before he lost consciousness. Ukokia smirked and took the hilt of her sword and shoved it into Kaoru's face.  
  
The young girl flew back several feet before she hit the floor. Spots of red appeared on her white gi, tiny rivulets cascading down from her nose. She looked up at Ukokia with a shocked expression,  
  
Ukokia laughed and approached Kaoru, planting a foot on her chest.  
  
"Funny...Your father had that same stupid expression on his face right before..."  
  
Kaoru spit blood in the phoenix armored woman's face. She kept their gazes locked, and wasn't willing to let them break.  
  
"Before you _what_?" Kaoru hissed, her words laced with a tone that made Aikoku and the others watching from the side tremble.  
  
Ukokia wiped the saliva and bloody mix from her face and glared down at her spawn.  
  
"It was one of the lesser battles of the Revolution. I had already given birth to you, and you were at camp with Kasumi. I sent a letter to your father several miles away to left him know I wanted to see him. Oh, what a fool he was!"  
  
Kaoru's lungs felt like they were going to collapse from the weight of her mother, plus the armor. Tears of pain slide from the corners of her eyes as her mother continued the story.  
  
"When we met halfway between the camps in the deeper part of the woods, we shared an embrace...Then I removed my katana from within my kimono. He looked so shocked when he had that first taste of steel."  
  
Ukokia sighed and looked dazed as she continued her talk of Kaoru's father, angering the girl under her weight further.  
  
"The look on his face was very similar to yours when I took his life. Too bad you never knew your father died at the hands of _your mother_!"  
  
Kaoru's eyes were obscured behind her bangs. Her katana...Her father's katana...Was too far away to reach. She could picture the pain filled look on her father's face as the wench who dared called herself her mother took his life.  
  
"Why..._Why_ did you kill my father?!"  
  
Ukokia snorted and dug her heel into Kaoru's ribs, causing them to painfully spread a little ways apart.  
  
"Do you honestly think he was worthy to be called a part of my family?! My father was the greatest warrior under the Shogunate, but until that red haired runt stepped up and took his place, he was labeled the Battousai. Then along came that good for nothing that your uncle, my brother, trained in Hiten Mitsurugi!"  
  
Kaoru struggled for breath, and tried to juggle her thoughts and process her mother's words all at once. She couldn't possibly mean that Hiko-san was her uncle...No way...  
  
Ukokia finally moved her foot from Kaoru's chest, and made a big mistake in the process.  
  
Kaoru moved with lightning speed and grabbed the katana. Ukokia was to slow to stop her, and found the sharp end of the blade pressed to her throat.  
  
"What makes you think you're going to kill me Kaoru? Are you going to kill your own mother?"  
  
"What makes you think I won't?" Kaoru hissed, pushing the blade hard enough to make a tiny cut in her mother's neck.  
  
Ukokia smiled, a smile that Kaoru had only seen in the picture books with demons and ghost used to scare people. Her eyes were wild and unnatural looking, fear began to spread like wildfire through the Kaoru and the people present.  
  
"Come then, Kaoru! Kill me."  
  
Her heart stopped at that moment when the woman announced her chosen path of destiny. Kaoru closed her eyes, and the images ran rapidly through her mind.  
  
_Her days arguing with Yahiko.  
Sanosuke and Megumi arguing.  
Tae and Tsubame at the Akabeko.  
Kenshin playing with Ayame and Suzume.  
And the picture of her father beside the shrine in the Kamiya dojo_.  
  
Kaoru looked up at Ukokia, her eyes a furious ice blue.  
  
The elder woman gasped as she noticed the blazing anger in her daughter's eyes...It was the same look Okihayo had when he was fighting in the Bakumatsu.  
  
"This...Is for all the pain you have caused me!"  
  
Kaoru lifted the katana up above her head and slashed her mother's side with a downward motion.  
  
"This is for taking away my child hood!" Another slash.  
  
"This is for eighteen years of misery!"  
  
She slashed at Ukokia's legs, causing her to hit her knees.  
  
"And _this_ is for killing my father!"  
  
Kaoru raised the sword above her head, Ukokia prepared herself for the final blow, but the blow never came.  
  
"No...Death is too easy a punishment for the crimes you have committed." Kaoru murmured, her eyes returning to the normal deep blue.  
  
"Death is too good for you."  
  
The katana hit the floor with a clatter, and Kaoru walked past her bleeding mother and picked up Yahiko's limp body.  
  
Aikoku, Kasumi, Yamanote, and Shimushi parted to let her pass when Ukokia spoke.  
  
"Yahiko was named after mine and Aikoku's father. Notice the spelling? Yahiko is Okihayo backwards, just like my name is Aikoku's name backwards."  
  
Kaoru stopped and turned towards her.  
  
"And you are telling me this why?"  
  
Kaoru started to turn away and her mother yelled to her.  
  
"The blood of the Samurai runs in your veins! Your grandfather was once known as the legendary Battousai! You can't run away from what you are Kaoru!"  
  
Kaoru stopped before she reached the stairs and turned to the kneeling woman with a slight smirk.  
  
"You're right, I can't. But..."  
  
She looked down at Yahiko and tears filled her eyes.  
  
"I _can_ do everything in my power to make the people around me happy. Even if I never will be."  
  
She carried her half brother up the stairs, ignoring her mother's screams of rage.  
  
Ukokia grabbed the dagger from her side and released the clasps on her armor to let the heavy material fall to the floor. She held the dagger to her abdomen and looked towards the heavens.  
  
"Father, I will join you soon."  
  
Kaoru heard the piercing of flesh and Ukokia's groan of pain as she completed the first part of seppuku by ripping her stomach open. She turned to see the bloody entrails peaking from the gash, and Aikoku taking a katana from Yamanote, and with one slash, her mother's head rolled across the cellar floor.  
  
Kasumi and Gosei stood outside waiting for Kaoru along with Kitano and Koraku. Kaoru turned to the two sister's with a panicked look.  
  
"My father's armor! I must-"

"Miss Kaoru, Miss Kaoru! Kitano and I have it packed and in the back of the carriage. Now you must go!"  
  
Kaoru was hesitant about leaving them to deal with Aikoku and the two mean alone, but she nodded and allowed them to shut the carriage.  
  
Gosei cracked the whip he held and they barreled down they drive towards the main roadway. In Kaoru's arms, Yahiko moaned and his eyes opened.  
  
"Yahiko! You're awake!" Kaoru cried, pulling the young boy to her.  
  
Yahiko wrapped his arms around his half sister and cried along with her.  
  
"Kaoru, how did you find out?" Yahiko asked, pulling away from her.  
  
"How did I found out what?" "Where I was hidden!"  
  
Kaoru giggled slightly and allowed Yahiko to sit beside her and lay his head on her shoulder.  
  
"The placement of the torches under the marble floor upstairs heated it in certain areas and led me right to the door. And-Ah!"  
  
Kaoru grasped her side and doubled over, screaming in pain.  
  
"Kaoru! Kaoru, what's wrong?!" Yahiko yelled, reaching to touch Kaoru's side closest to the carriage window. He pulled her hand back to find blood quickly rushing from her side. He tore the material back from a cut already made and gasped at what he saw.  
  
On Kaoru's side, was a cross shaped wound.  
  
Yahiko began to panic, and he stuck his head out the window to call to Gosei.  
  
"Old man, stop the carriage! Stop, Kaoru's hurt!"  
  
The carriage stopped, but no one came around to assist them. Instead, the carriage door was thrown open and there stood a black clad ninja with a dead Gosei in on hand and several deadly shuriken in the other.  
  
"Don't think you're getting away that easily, Kamiya!"  
  
The attempted assassin pulled back the mask, and Aikoku stood before them.  
  
END- I hope you like! Please review and let me know what you think!


	9. Snap on a Driveway Battlefield

Kaoru on Call

Chapter Nine: Snap on a Driveway Battlefield

Author's Note- Wow...I'M UPDATING! Don't you guys love me now! Sorry for being absurdly late, but there's been a lot going on and I want to thank my reviewers for sticking by me! Well, on with the story!

WARNING: There is a lot of violence and slicing and dicing in this chapter…So you have been warned! If you have a weak stomach, stop now.

Aikoku threw Gosei's lifeless body to the ground and reached up to pull Kaoru from the carriage, only to have her hand grip around cold steel. With one hand on her bleeding side and the other gripping the handle of the katana Kaoru climbed out of the carriage and pushed the blade through Aikoku's hand.

A curtain of black fell over Kaoru's face, preventing her crazed aunt from seeing her pain filled eyes. Her emotions began to rise to a fever pitch, causing everything to seem unimportant...Except for taking Aikoku's life here and now. And instead of pulling the sword from her hand, Kaoru pushed it through muscle, bone, and skin to Aikoku's elbow.

"Ahh!"

The ear piercing scream echoed through the night, sending several birds from their roost in the nearby pine tree.

Yahiko stood watching from the carriage's side as his and Kaoru's aunt tried to sidle away from his raging sister with her left arm split in half.

Aikoku left a trail of red in her attempt to crawl up the driveway and away from the sword wielding female approaching her. Rain began to fall in a steady rhythm, the stars beginning to hide behind a blanket of storm conceiving clouds. The gray stone driveway that had become a battleground began to turn deep gray from receiving the heaven sent sprinkle that quickly turned into unrelenting sheets of violent stinging liquid needles.

Kaoru's white gi was wet with blood and rain, the blue hakama torn with the cross shaped wound visible on her side. To see the blood of this woman sent her senses into a frenzy, a frenzy that only could be the blood of the Battousai coursing through her supposedly pacifist veins resurfacing full force.

"Would you care to know why I am going to let you take the payment for all that has happened here?" Kaoru's voice had grown ominous, Aikoku's death immanent.

She followed the trail of blood, tiny severed pieces of flesh, and shuriken and knelt down in front of her aunt. And when she looked up at Aikoku, her eyes were icy blue. Aikoku's scream lodged in her throat and Kaoru brought her blade into sight.

"It was you who lied about why I was summoned here, it was you who helped my mother try to kill me and Yahiko, and it was you who was stupid enough to piss me off."

Aikoku started to open her mouth to protest, but the female descendant of one of the war's greatest warriors spoke first.

"And before you speak, yes, my mother angered me, your husband angered me, but you were the ring-leader in this. So this is the end of the line for you, my dear aunt."

Yahiko heard the sounds of approaching footsteps and turned to see at least ten men running towards them armed with flails, various sized katana, some even had flaming torches. Ahead of them stood Shimushi wielding Ukokia's masamune, still red with her blood and splotched with slivers of her organs.

"Well, well, well. It looks like my step-daughter wishes to kill my sister-in-law..."

Kaoru's eyes went from icy blue to silver, a very light silver that almost left her pupils to swim in a pool of white. Her hair seemed to glow with an eerie blue hue. And when she talked to the man that dared even hint around he was her step-father, eighteen years of lies and anger unleashed in her vocals, fueling her anger even more.

"Don't you dare call me your daughter!"

From behind her, Aikoku used her good arm to throw a couple of shuriken at her. But Kaoru's senses were now those of her grandfather before her, like the red haired man she left back in Tokyo, she was now in full Battousai mode. Without turning around Kaoru reached behind her and grabbed the shuriken, earning a gasp from her mother's sister.

"Bad move on your part."

Kaoru flicked the tiny daggers back towards their owner, piercing her wind pipe and the back of Aikoku's throat.

Shimushi glared at the smirking killer. She had lost all senses of who she was before, she wasn't Ukokia and the pacifist Kamiya's daughter anymore.

She was a true killer now.

Kaoru cut off a section of Aikoku's tight black leggings and threw back her rain soaked, slightly bloody hair back over her shoulders. With her one free hand, she tied her hair back and held her katana up for a fighting stance.

"Let me show you the advantages of being a Battousai's granddaughter."

Shimushi smirked and gave the men behind him a signal, and they surrounded her like a pack of wolves would a deer. Two came in for an attack, one swinging a torch with pieces of sharp metal in the wood, the other with a katana.

Kaoru dodged a downward slash easily enough, then hot metal cut her arm and the fire scorched her gi from the other man. Kaoru shoved her blade through the abdomen of the torch wielder, slicing him in half with an upward motion, and the other man by means of a downward cut. More men came, and more fell, some by Kaoru's weapon, the other's by their own.

She stood before a shocked Shimushi, her clothing torn, bloody, and singed, her flesh burnt and torn as well.

"You have sent your minions to try and defeat me, and they failed. You want to try for your self?"

Shimushi smirked and brought the masamune up to rest on his shoulder.

"Is this supposed to be your idea of a challenge? You defeat a few mere novices and you think you can match me in battle?"

A black blur was all he saw before he felt an arm around his neck and the tip of Kaoru's blade in the small of his back. She pushed it enough to nick his skin, sending scarlet beads to be soaked up in the blue material of his gi.

"Not match you, Shimushi…" Kaoru whispered ominously.

She pushed the blade in further, causing Shimushi to cry out in pain.

"But surpass you!"

Kaoru pushed the katana completely through the man, and finished him with a horizontal slash. She put the katana back in it's sheath as Shimushi torso slid from his lower half onto the ground.

Her eyes darkened back to blue, her hair losing the eerie blue aura about it. The coppery scent of blood hit her full force, and she looked about at the mangled bodies around her. Fear welled up in her and made her dizzy with nausea. Her insides twisted and sent bitter bile up to her throat. When she could hold it no longer, Kaoru hit her knees and vomited at the sight before her. She looked up and saw a very terrified Yahiko and reality dawned on her. She had done all of this, she had killed all of these people.

Her mother…Yahiko's father…Her aunt...

Kaoru grabbed fistfuls of her hair, yanking the ink black strands from her head. Yahiko ran towards his sister, grabbing her hands and forcing her to stop. Her tears were cascading down her cheeks, making clean trails through the dirt and blood.

"Kaoru stop! Please stop!" Yahiko cried, pulling her head to his shoulder.

She pulled away, and he saw something that horrified him more than when she went Battousai.

Her eyes were empty, blue shells. There was no sadness, no fear, no anger, no emotion at all.

"I'm sorry, Yahiko…"

She picked up the katana, and held it in front of her. She thrust it towards her abdomen, and Yahiko screamed to the night.

"Kaoru! NO!"

END! Ohh…Cliffie…Well…Wanna see what happens next? Tune in to the next chapter! Bye! Please read the story note!

Story Note- All of you know that Kenshin, Saitou, Shishio, and that Kurogasa dude **(You know, from Episodes 5-6...The creepy one that almost killed Kaoru, but she was all like 'Kenshin...NO!' and we were all like 'YAY!' Then Kenshin turned all Battousai and said 'Come. I'll let you taste an example of why they call me Battousai.' and we were all like 'YAY!'...Remember?) **were called the Four Great Battousai of the Revolution, right?

Well, I have had people ask me about this, and this story is basically based on one of the forgotten Battousai **(That I MADE UP) **named Okihayo Nijoymo, which is Yahiko's first and last name spelt backwards with an 'o' added. Okihayo was more of a field fighter than a traditional assassin like the other Battousai, but he did do assassination jobs occasionally. Aikoku is Kaoru's aunt on her mother's side. Her name means mourning, but she wasn't mourning the loss of her "son", she is just ticked off because Yahiko never turned into a killing machine, and she shares this anger with Ukokia, Kaoru and Yahiko's mother. Ukokia was first married to Kamiya, Kaoru's father. Their love was forbidden, but the still got their freak on during the war and Kaoru was born. Ukokia was mad because Kamiya didn't give her a son to carry on the Nijoymo name, and killed him. But Kaoru thought her mom died in childbirth, and her father was slain in the war.

But while Dr. Gensai was pretty much raising Kaoru, Ukokia continued living on and training to uphold her family's name. Aikoku was more interested in the ninja arts than samurai, thus becoming, well duh, a ninja. Then, Ukokia defeated a young samurai by the name of Shimushi in battle, and took a liking to him. He became Yahiko's father, and Kaoru gained a half brother.

However, Shimushi was still young, and didn't yet want a wife and child. He and Ukokia split up, and Yahiko was given to a poor but proud samurai family. He was not to know his real identity, and was named after the man of the house, Yahiko, and was given their last name, Myojin.

As for Yamanote, he is in fact a very Westernized person, and Aikoku married him for his money and power to try and rid their family of the kinks in the fabric, namely Kaoru and Yahiko.

In this chapter, Kaoru is going through the Battousai stage that would have came earlier, but she forced it back. Now, she has no choice; it's kill or be killed. She may seem out of character, but if you just now found out your mom killed your dad, a boy you had known for two years was your half brother, and you were a killer's granddaughter, and you were being attacked by your crazy aunt and your mother's lover along with ten men fully armed...You'd snap too! Hey, Kenshin had to punch himself in the face to get Battousai to go away for him! But Kaoru can't control it yet, so please continue reading!

This is a story line I created, and I take credit only for Ukokia, Shimushi, Aikoku, Yamanote, and any one else in that house! Even Okihayo Nijoymo, cause I made him first! I hope this straightens everything out!

* * *

EDITORS NOTE! 

Yeah, DPA Here again. Sorry she didn't update on Tuesday like she said to tell you.Well, yeah, maybe th is a start at her updating regularly again. Mmmaaayyyybbbeee...I hope so. I HATE YOU SENPAI FOR MAKING ME SUFFER WITH AN EVIL CLIFFY!

Staccato: I think I can help you ease the pain... -strokes her bottom-

DPA: Oo...I would like that -strokes his butt too-

Staccato: -whispers in her ear- Should I get the paddle or the whip..?

DPA: Whip...-spanks his butt lightly- both...

Staccato: OOoo... I sense a dominatrix...grroowwll

DPA: Well I guess I will talk to you guys next time! Bye for now and review or I will hunt you down!

Staccato: And me

DPA: Yes but you aen't a good threat.

Staccato: But I'm pyrokinetic...

DPA: Truueee... anyways bye!


	10. Lost Emotion

Kaoru on Call Chapter Eleven: Lost Emotion

-Note- Hey! I'm back once again! I want to thank everyone who reviewed and for waiting patiently! Well, I will be updating Boys of Summer when this story is done, so all who read that, please wait! Now, on with the story!

Yahiko stood frozen in place, watching as Kaoru pushed the blade towards her abdomen. His vision was almost lost by his tears and everything around him was becoming misty. A loud scream broke the night and Yahiko looked up and saw Yamanote fall to the ground with a sword through him.

"I'm sorry…For killing another member of our family." Kaoru dropped her sword and Yahiko slowly approached her.

He wrapped his arms around her neck, offering her a shoulder to cry on. But no tears came, and that worried him. Yahiko pulled away and looked into Kaoru's eyes, and it was what wasn't there that sent him into a scared, angry, and sad mix of emotions. There wasn't anything there except for two blue walls, deprived of all light and life.

"Kaoru, it's not your fault. You just tried to protect me." Yahiko tried to sooth his sister, but to no avail.

The two of them sat in the darkness for a moment with nothing but the beams of moonlight and the song of the mocking birds. Footsteps alerted Yahiko, and he turned to see Kenshin, Sanosuke, Megumi, and Yamagata coming towards them.

"What happened here!" Yamagata questioned, looking around at the corpses scattered about the grounds.

Kenshin's gaze followed his, taking in the wounds, seeing the disfigured bodies, and he realized that no normal man could do this…No man could do it at all.

"Kaoru Kamiya…Daughter of Ukokia Kamiya…Granddaughter of the Battousai Okihayo Nijoymo." Yamagata looked up from Aikoku's body and shook his head.

"I somehow expected it to be you. You were always so much like your father, a pacifist, but I knew that your mother's fighting spirit would get you eventually."

Sanosuke switched looks with Kenshin then back to the police chief.

"What? How do you know this?"

Yahiko knelt down beside Kaoru and laid his head on her shoulder. He sat and listened with the others as Yamagata told Kaoru's tale.

"Several years ago, when the Revolution was still going on, I met Kamiya and his new bride, Ukokia. I had known her father Okihayo for some time before our meeting, and knew that she would probably be as dangerous as he could be despite the pleasant exterior."

Megumi had began to clean Kaoru's face off to dress her wounds, but was still listening intently. Yahiko had moved to sit beside Sanosuke, who eventually ended up holding him in his lap, and Kenshin was standing erect without moving a muscle.

"Then came the news of Kamiya's fall in battle, only I knew the truth. Ukokia had slain him after he failed to give her a son. But telling Kaoru that would only confuse her at the time."

Yamagata knelt down beside a corpse then turned to Kenshin.

"Go ahead and get out of here. I don't want the officials coming and Kaoru being here. Go, now!"

Megumi grabbed Yahiko and seated herself comfortably in the saddle, followed by Sanosuke. Kenshin walked over to Kaoru, who still sat motionless on the ground.

"Come on, Kaoru. Let's go home."

He reached for her hand, cold, pale and crimson stained. The red haired man lifted her off the ground and led Kaoru over to the horse on which he came. After assisting her up first, Kenshin followed and sat behind her. He grabbed the reins and motioned for Sanosuke to go ahead. Yamagata watched as the group road down the wet driveway, the echoing of the horses' hoofs on the ground still ringing in his ears even after they had long faded away. Several hours later, the police chief and several more officers arrived, and a wave of questions exploded into the Kyoto air.

"Who is responsible for all these deaths!" The chief questioned.

Yamagata glanced down at Aikoku's body then at his chief.

"It was Nijoymo Ukokia. Treat this as a homicide/suicide case, chief"  
"What of the Kamiya girl? The one who was hired as a body guard?"

The elder man smiled with reassurance in his aging features.

"She is safe, and on her way back to Tokyo."

………………………….

Megumi stopped her horse at the train station and waited for Sanosuke and Kenshin to dismount. Yahiko had fallen asleep after crying himself into that particular state and wetting the sleeves of her gi. She had changed into a gi and hakama to ride the horse in, because riding in a kimono seemed to be an impossible feat. Sanosuke lowered his tall, lean frame from the brown mare he had ridden to and from the mansion. He stretched and gave a small grunt before turning to the doctor.

"So, do you think Kaoru's going to be ok?"

His November brown eyes had lost the childish essence Megumi had grown so used to seeing, and in it's place a more mature sense came into being.

"There is a lot of damage, more mental than physical. I can heal the cuts and broken bones, but she'll have deeper scars that no one can see."

She turned from Sanosuke and saw Kenshin approaching them with their tickets in hand.

"Let's get Yahiko and Kaoru home. They need rest."

The younger observers noticed how Kenshin's face had grown paler, his eyes had lost the light. But it wasn't the light of life like Kaoru's had lost…

It was the light of love.

He handed Sanosuke the tickets and turned back towards the bench where the ebony haired girl was seated. Her silence seemed to be louder than the bustling of the crowd behind him. The thin blanket draped around her shoulders covered the tears and cuts in her clothing, flesh, but they couldn't hide the ones in her soul.

"Come on, Kaoru. Let's go home."

Kaoru went to stand, and upon getting to her feet, dropped the blanket from her weak hands. People stopped and stared at the torn girl that had seemed to appear from no where. Small children pointed at her and questioned their mother's about her, then were quickly pulled behind their life-givers. Kaoru ignored the stares and made her way to the train. The crowd began to murmur, the voices blending together to sound like a hive of bees. A few comments reached Kenshin's ears as they passed.

"What happened to that poor girl"  
"That red haired man probably did it"  
"No, he doesn't look capable of such damage. What about the spiky haired man?"

Kenshin was able to ignore the comments, but only barely. Sanosuke, however, couldn't. Kenshin turned in time to see his friend leaping into the crowd, and unleashed a barrage of punches on the man who had voiced his thoughts.

"Sanosuke! No!" Megumi yelled.

Several of the man's friends leaped onto Sanosuke's back. Yahiko awoke from all the noise, still wrapped in Megumi's warm embrace. Kenshin rushed past Megumi and yelled to the black haired woman.

"Get Kaoru on the train!"

He ran into the brawl and began to shove people off of the brown haired man under them. Kenshin finally reached Sanosuke, who was still putting up a fight. So much of a fight that he socked Kenshin and sent him flying back. He shook it of and grabbed Sanosuke by the wrist and yanked him to his feet.

"Let's go!"

The five angry men ran after the duo, and even tried to get on the train. The conductor stopped them as they reached the entrance to the car.

"Tickets, please."

Kenshin practically threw the tickets at the man and ran through. He prevented the five men from boarding, then Kenshin heard the man yell.

"All aboard!"

Sanosuke and Kenshin wandered around the cars until they found Megumi, Yahiko, and Kaoru near the end. Kaoru was sitting in her silence, Megumi had gotten Yahiko a drink, and the young boy sat sipping at it. Kenshin sat beside Kaoru while Sanosuke took his place beside Megumi. Kaoru's condition seemed to be getting worse. Megumi had draped the blanket back over her, but she didn't even have the strength to hold it around her. Kenshin leaned over and pushed her hair from her face.

"Kaoru, why don't you try to get some sleep?"

She turned and looked at him with her emotionless blue eyes. Kaoru didn't have to speak, he realized that look all too well. Years ago, he had been afraid to sleep because of the visions that would haunt his slumber.

The blood…  
The screams…  
The bodies that scattered the ground…

He sat back in his seat and lowered his head. Would he ever have a life with her now? Now that her life had taken a turn for the worst? A tear rolled down his cheek, followed by another, and another…Soon, silent sobs shook his entire body. He reached into the sleeve of his gi and pulled out the small golden band he had bought while she was away. He stood and turned to face her.

"Kaoru…"

She turned her eyes to him and watched as he lowered himself down on one knee.

"Will you…Marry me?"

Megumi, Sanosuke, and Yahiko watched silently. Kaoru turned away from the man and looked out the train window.

"No."

END! MWAHA! Oh, the torture…Don't worry! I will update when I can! PEACE! Lemme know what you think about the chapter! 


	11. Battousai's Remedy

Kaoru on Call Chapter

Eleven: Battousai's Remedy

Note- Uh…Heh heh heh…I accidentally put chapter eleven on chapter ten…Gomen! In this chapter, Kenshin is going to be in it while he's Battousai…Just a little warning for the upcoming violent behavior. To my reviewers, thanks bunchies for sticking by while I try to pull these stories together! On with the story!

"No."

Sanosuke looked at Megumi, she looked at Kaoru. Kenshin should have expected her to reply to be just that, but something inside him kept screaming at him to find a way to make her say yes. A voice came into his mind, a dark, menacing voice.

_"Make her say yes! Do it!"_

It was Battousai, but Kenshin wouldn't allow him to get in this. He couldn't allow him to get involved in this. The inner killer began to put up a resistance to Kenshin's restraint as his voice grew closer still.

_"If you won't, rurouni, I will."_

Kenshin looked up at Kaoru, and they locked gazes. His eyes flashed amber, her's icy blue. But they returned to their original color in an instant. Battousai had begun to put up quite a struggle, causing his host to pick himself up off the floor and exit the car.

"Kenshin! Where are you going!" Sanosuke jumped up from his seat and started to move towards the red haired man.

"I'll be back later…Sano…" His reply was more of a growl than a reassuring answer.

Kenshin made his way outside of the train, watching as the scenery whipped by him. Battousai came back, and began to push him again.

_"Why didn't you let me handle her, rurouni!"_

"She doesn't need your interference now, that she doesn't."

_"Do you not see it! Can you not sense it! The Battousai blood in her is causing her this pain! If she was being the same Kaoru you know, she would have broken down by now! The blood is causing her to relive her killings over and over again, and it will eventually cause her death if you don't stop it!"_

Kenshin stopped for a moment, and remembered when he was still training under Hiko when he had said something that he would never forget.

"If you do not except all of you, you will soon fall victim to yourself."

_"Exactly. And there is only one way to get her back to normal…"_

"How?"

A chuckle later, and the Battousai gave his response.

_"You have to let me free, and she has to let her Battousai self free…And we have to fight it out of her."_

Kenshin looked down at his hands gripping the railing so tightly his knuckles were white. He was hesitant about his alter ego's remedy to Kaoru's problem, but if it was the only way…He had no other choice.

"Give me three days. And if I can't help her by then, we can do this your way."

Battousai gave another chuckle and left a final message before going behind the calm rurouni demeanor that had become his prison.

_"I'll see you in three days."_

Hopefully they wouldn't have to do this. Hopefully Kenshin wouldn't have to fight the woman he loved…Hopefully he could stop hoping and do something about it. He made his way back to the car and found Megumi and Yahiko asleep and Sanosuke getting to that point. He leaned the reverse blade against his shoulder and drifted off into a restless sleep.

Kaoru tried to ignore the menacing voice echoing in her mind, but it wasn't possible. The images of what she had done ran across her mind like wild horses. And the handler of the sword was her Battousai self, with eerie silver eyes and illuminating hair. Kaoru could only see the satisfaction on her face as her blade sliced into the flesh of the men she had destroyed. The silver eyed Kaoru eventually turned towards her, so it seemed., and began to taunt her.

_"Remember how good handling your sword felt when it pierced armor and flesh? Muscle and bone? When it cut tendon and ligament? Remember how good it felt, Kaoru! Give into the urge! The urge to see and smell the blood of your victims!"_

Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed her head.

"Leave me be! I will never kill again!"

But the girl's killer instinct was persistent and kept on chipping away at her.

_"Give in…You will not last much longer!"_

"NO!" Kaoru screamed, and sent her fist flying through the smoky image, only to have her attempts laughed at by the female killer.

_"Sooner or later, Kaoru…You will give in."_

Kaoru sunk back into her seat and turned to the window, but quickly looked down at the floor. Because the only thing she could see was the silver eyed killer she was…

………………………………...

Three days had passed since Kenshin and the others had retrieved Kaoru and Yahiko from Kyoto. Yahiko had managed to get over his wounds, physically and partially mentally. Kaoru had been a different story, however. The girl's mental instability, according to Megumi, had slowed her physical healing down considerably.

Kenshin had learned of these matters, and was waiting for the right moment to let Battousai do his thing. Kaoru had been moving over the dojo at night, burning remnants of her mother's memory at the temple. And tonight, Battousai had decided to give her a surprise at the temple, and get rid of the Battousai in her once and for all.

Dusk had fallen when Megumi and Sanosuke said their goodbyes and Sanosuke took Yahiko home with him. Megumi left more salve and bandages for Kaoru wounds and finally left for the clinic. When they were gone, Battousai came into Kenshin's mind and told him what was going to happen.

_"Listen, rurouni. You will go in your room and fake your sleep. But whatever you do, don't fall asleep for real or this whole thing is going to be thrown to the dogs! I have sensed the presence in her growing stronger since we left Kyoto, and it needs to be taken care of tonight!"_

"All right. We wait for midnight, then."

Kenshin took the reverse blade into his room, and made sure the shoji screen was left open a little intentionally so Kaoru could see in on him. And certainly enough, around midnight, light footsteps alerted his senses, and the faint smell of lavender reached him. Kaoru was leaving for her final burning ceremony, and the lavender smell was coming from Ukokia's wedding kimono.

He waited until the sounds of the front gate opening and shutting was completed before getting up, and letting the Battousai come out. His eyes went from purple, to deep blue, and finally made their way to Battousai gold.

"Heh, tonight Kaoru, you meet your match." With that, he bounded outside and bolted through the woods to get to the temple before Kaoru did.

Kaoru's silent form made it's way to the beginning of the seemingly endless stone steps that lead up to the temple. She carried her father's katana with her still, it seemed she couldn't let go of it after all. She started climbing the steps, slowly and steadily, when she heard something rustling in the surrounding forest. She stopped abruptly, her ears straining to pin-point the person, or thing, in the woods.

A red and white blur shot from amongst the thick leaves and landed in front of her. When she realized it was Kenshin, every emotion but happiness, love, and expectancy filled her…Pretty much every angered feeling she could feel.

"How dare you follow me here? Battousai?"

Kenshin looked up, his golden eyes piercing the darkness surrounding the two of them. From where he was standing he could see the cruel icy blue eyes of Kaoru's own Battousai.

"I have come to free the girl from your grasp. She has much more to live for than to be classified as a murderess!"

He leapt forward, flipping the reverse blade so quickly that it didn't give the moonbeams time to reflect off of it's polished surface.  
Kaoru dodged the blow and pulled her own weapon from it's sheath and lashed out at Kenshin, catching and slicing off one sleeve of his gi.

"You will regret having your blade touch me!"

Kenshin slammed the sakabatou against the ground, hitting Kaoru with the Dou Ryu Sen.. A barrage of rocks and fragments of stone hit the female Battousai, flattening her on her back on the stone staircase.

She blinked several times, and opened them up on the fifth blink to reveal normal, deep blue eyes. Kaoru was back.

"K…Kenshin…"

Kenshin's eyes flew back to purple. He dropped his sword and raced over to Kaoru, taking her shaking form into his arms. He clamped his eyes together, but it didn't stopped the tears from pouring from his eyes.

"It's ok, Kaoru…She won't bother you anymore…I pro-"

_"YOU IDIOT!"_

Kenshin's eyes snapped open when he heard Battousai's angry voice.

_"We have not defeated her! That was only the beginning! Look at her eyes!"_

Kaoru began to laugh, her voice began to change.

"He's right, rurouni. Do you honestly think a mere Dou Ryu Sen would finish me!"

Kenshin pushed the laughing girl back and saw what Battousai was talking about. Her eyes were silver, instead of icy blue.

_"That is the way a female Battousai's eyes are! That is the silver eyes of the female Battousai in the Nijoymo bloodline!"_

Kenshin stood and took his sword in hand, Kaoru picked her's up from the ground beside her.

"Now, Kenshin, what will you do if this happens!"

She looked down, then looked back up with blue, tear filled eyes.

"Kenshin! Help me!"

Kenshin started forward, but Kaoru's eyes flashed silver again and she ran for him.

"You can never beat me, Battousai! Not as long as I have the girl!"

END! Yeeees…Meat locker….Oh, yeah…Sorry for another cliffy! But I hope you guy's enjoyed the chapter, anyways! PLEASE REVIEW!


	12. Her Finale

Kaoru on Call

Chapter Twelve: Her Finale

-Note- Another update! Wait…This is…The final update! L Yes, this is the final chapter of Kaoru on Call. Thank you all for the support and all the reviews. I may be entering this in a fan fiction contest, but I don't know if I will yet. Do you guys think I should? Well, I'll stop rambling! Now enjoy the final chapter of Kaoru on Call!

"Come, Battousai!"

Their swords clashed together, composing a requiem of metallic voices crying in unison from the cold steel. Red blended with black, silver with gold, spirit clashed with spirit. The two killers lashed at each other blindly, just aiming for a weak spot in their defenses.

Neither of their sword styles could help them now. One was seasoned in the arts of war fare, the other had eighteen years of lies and deceit bearing down on her shoulders. All that would be of any use was blind attacks, no style, no real target, just lashing out to get the job done.

Kenshin had received many, and dodged many, of the blows Kaoru had delivered, the same happening on the other side of the conflict. The red haired man slashed out, a sliver of cloth from Kaoru's kimono falling to the ground.

Kaoru looked at the fallen cloth, and shot her silver gaze towards the man she had been fighting for almost thirty minutes. She made a downwards slash, and Kenshin knelt to meet it.

"I think I changed my mind." Kaoru hissed before bringing her sword up and across Kenshin's abdomen and chest.

The elder man leapt back, his red gi falling from his shoulders and hung in ribbons at his waist. He ignored the searing pain from the wound across his torso, and lunged for Kaoru again.

They met each other half way, red dripping to the ground from both combatants as one or the other held the opposing blade in hand, and the sweat soaked hand of their rival clasped in the other.

"Let me go!" The female Battousai hissed.

"No." Kenshin replied, throwing his sword to the ground.

Something in her made Kaoru's grip on the katana weaken and let it fall to the ground.

Kenshin's eyes softened back to deep violet, his arms winding around Kaoru's small frame.

Her eyes stayed silver, her pupils dilating in her anger.

"Release me!" She yelled angrily as Kenshin lay his head on her shoulder.

Two different voices spoke out to the red haired man as he held the furious woman to him. One belonged to a fearless killer; the other to a terrified young woman.

"Come home, Kaoru. We need you here." Kenshin's voice was calm but demanding, strict but lenient, patient but hurried.

"Kenshin…Never!" Kaoru's tearful voice was becoming clearer, but her freedom still hadn't been guaranteed.

Is hands trailed up her spin, over her shoulders, and moved to cup her face.

"Yahiko needs his sister, Sanosuke needs someone to treat like a sister, Megumi needs company…And I…"

He look into her eyes, switching from blue to silver again. Tears formed in her eyes, some escaping and making wet trails on her cheeks.

"I need you to be here with me, Kaoru. I need you to protect me from the things that only a true love can save you from. I want to grow old with you. I want to be by your side when our first child is born. I want to be the one seeing you walk down the aisle on our wedding day."

Kenshin smiled at her, and leaned his forehead against her's.

"I love you, Kaoru."

Kaoru eyes shot back to blue, and Kenshin pulled her in for a kiss he had been holding in for two years. The tension in her body loosened, her form melting into Kenshin's arms. The hostility in the air around her faded, the copper smell of blood was replaced with iris and pine, and the sweet, warm, calming scent Kenshin had claimed all his own.

Kenshin released her lips, both of their faces flushed from fighting and the built up passions both of them had just unleashed.

"Kenshin…What…What happened to her?" Kaoru asked, staring up at him with her questioning eyes.

Kenshin stroked her sweat soaked hair, brushing some of it out of her damp face.

"You were born with her in your blood, and she came out because of the intense hate and sadness you were feeling. And only an equal and opposite reaction could banish her. Equal intensity with an opposite emotion. But Kaoru, what you must remember is that she is never going to be completely gone. If she wasn't inside of you, you wouldn't be the girl you are today."

Kaoru nodded and lay her head on Kenshin's chest.

"I'm sorry Kenshin…For everything."

Kenshin kissed her forehead, then lowered himself onto one knee once again.

"Kaoru Kamiya…Will you marry me?"

From within the shreds of his gi, he removed the small golden band and held it out for her.

Kaoru smiled and took the band and slipped it onto her finger. It was a little big, but all the more reason to love Kenshin's unceasing attempts to make her happy.

"Yes, Kenshin…I will."

………………………………...

They were to be wed at Kanada Myojin shrine**(1)**. And while Megumi, Tae, and Tsubame helped her into her shiromuku**(2)**, All three women shared some information about the shrine.

"Two archers guard the gates. Their names are Udaijin, who's on the right, and Sadaijin, who's on the left. I heard some monks talking about it once.." Tsubame piped, tucking the white obiage**(3)** into place.

"When you first enter, there is a statue of Daikoku**(4)** to the left. And he's sitting on two bales of rice!." Megumi stated while adjusting the obashiori**(5) **at Kaoru's waist.

"The entire shrine is vermilion and gold colored. It's interior is lacquer and gold Chinese designs. It's gorgeous, so I've heard." Tae said, slipping a pair of white zori**(6)** with black lacquered straps on Kaoru's feet.

Kaoru looked at herself in the mirror. Since her mother's was burned, Tae had given Kaoru her wedding kimono. It was solid white, even the lotus blossom embroidery was white. Tae's headdress was shaped like a child's paper boat, with a wreath of silk flowers. But, her and Megumi had worked for hours deep into the night to construct one especially for Kaoru.

It looked like a small crane was sitting on her head, bearing it's own wreath of silken flowers made to look like irises and Japanese quince**(7)** blossoms.

Kaoru's eyes filled with tears as she turned to the women who had made all this possible.

"Thank you, Megumi, Tsubame, and Tae. I just…I don't know what to say."

Kaoru was embraced by the three women, who sniffed and looked at their dear friend.

"Your like a sister to us, Kaoru. We'll always do anything we can to help. Now, let's get you to the wedding!" Megumi cheered.

………………………………...

They arrived at the temple three hours later. The only ones invited were Aoshi, Misao, and the other residents of the Aoiya. Megumi, Sanosuke, Tae, Tsubame, and even Hiko decided to come and watch his 'Baka Deshi' get married. Or, maybe he came just to get the sake…

The priest motioned for Kaoru to come up to the alter, then, she looked at Kenshin who knelt down beside her. He wore her father's montsuki**(8)** with the Kamiya family crest on it. The black haori and the black and white striped hakama were a little big for him, but he still looked as handsome as ever. The himo**(9)** were white and tied just about the edge of the hakama. His seta**(10) **made a slight noise as he knelt down and the leather soles scrubbed the wooden floors.

Their guests were set up on both sides of the temple, and stood when the priest began the purification of the bride and groom. Then, it was time for the go-between to speak.

"Where is your go-between?" The priest asked.

Kaoru and Kenshin both blushed, and looked down at the floor.

"We haven't-"

"We will be the go-between."

Kenshin and Kaoru turned around to see Dr. Gensai and his sister standing up and approaching the alter.

"Dr. Gensai…Mama Gensai…" Kaoru's eyes threatened to let the flood gates open, but the priest cleared his throat.

Dr. Gensai handed Kenshin a slip of paper, Mama Gensai assisted Kaoru in standing.

"Now, will the groom please read his oath?"

Kenshin turned to Kaoru, and smiled.

"It was almost three years go when I met you. And before I knew it, I had fallen in love with you, and I've been falling in love with you all over again ever morning I have awakened since that day. I love you Kaoru, in mind, body, and soul. I love you in all of your personalities. I vow to you, from this day forward, I will be faithful, loving, and everything you need."

He kissed Kaoru quickly, then took a nuptial cup from the alter, Kaoru following suit. Then, both Kenshin and Kaoru took the sacred Sakaki twigs and prayed over them to the gods for a safe, healthy, fruitful marriage. After they prayed, they turned to face their friends, as Kenshin and Kaoru Himura.

Shouts erupted from the room, then miko began to serve the sake for the reception the Hiko had been waiting for.

While their friends sipped sake, Kenshin and Kaoru stood up to give their thanks.

"Today, is the greatest day of all my years." Kenshin said, sitting his cup down and taking Kaoru's hand.

"I want to thank Sanosuke, Megumi, and Yahiko for being such great friends. Dr. Gensai and Mama Gensai for all the fun times. Tae and Tsubame for the great food and support, and Master Hiko for my training." Kenshin bowed and applause followed.

He straightened up and looked at his bride.

"But most of all, I want to thank Kaoru, for giving me hope, the will to live, and for teaching me to love again after all those years."

He turned to Kaoru and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you Kaoru…For everything."

Kaoru smiled at him sweetly.

"Last time you said that, you left." She whispered in a teasing tone.

Kenshin kissed her forehead.

"I don't plan on going anywhere for a very long time."

He claimed her lips again, and applause exploded behind them, but all was silent. Kenshin pulled away and looked at his wife, Kaoru at her husband, both looked at their futures…

END! I hope you have enjoyed the story! Please review and tell me what you thought and if this should be in the fan fiction contest! Here is a list of terms I used!

1: Kanada Myojin Shrine is located in central Tokyo. It's more than 1,200 years old, even though the current building is a replica built after a 1923 earthquake.

2: Shiromuku: a traditional white wedding kimono.

3: Obiage: a length of silk used to help hold the obi in place. Also assisted by the obijime, a decorative cord used to further secure the obi.

4: Daikoku: One of the Seven Lucky Gods.

5: Obashiori: adjusts the length of the kimono at the waist.

6: Zori: wedged sole sandals.

7: Japanese quince blossoms: a Japanese ornamental shrub of the rose family cultivated for its bright red or pink flowers and edible round white, yellow, or green fruit. The flowers are used in many different ceremonies throughout Japan and Asia.

8: Montsuki: a formal kimono which can be worn by men or women that bears a crest.

9: Himo: a pair of braided cords used to tie the kimono.

10: Seta: Men's sandals that have a surface with a texture similar to tatami mats. The soles are made of leather.


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